The Motorola Z2 Force Edition, announced today, will have a much broader distribution than last year's Moto Z; look for it on the five biggest US wireless carriers.

The Z2 Force has a 5.5-inch, quad-HD AMOLED screen with Motorola's shatterproof "ShatterShield" technology; this year's screen should scratch a lot less easily than last year's model, the company says. It runs Android 7.1.1 with Motorola's relatively light extensions on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a MicroSD memory card slot.

On the back, there are two 12-megapixel cameras, one color and one black-and-white, to enhance photo contrast. The front selfie camera is 5 megapixels. The phone is water resistant, but not waterproof. And of course, it supports Moto Mods, the attachable functional backs that were introduced with last year's Moto Z. It's compatible with all of last year's mods, as well as new mods coming out, such as a $299, 360-degree camera which Motorola announced today. The phone doesn't have a headphone jack—just a USB-C port—but as that was also the case with the original Moto Z, it isn't a surprise.

The phone's biggest concern is its rather small battery. Motorola wanted to keep the phone super slim, at 0.24 inches thick, probably so it wouldn't be too thick with the mods attached. At 2730mAh, the "all day" battery is bigger than 2600mAh battery in last year's Moto Z Droid, but it's nowhere near as big as the 3500mAh one in the Z Force Droid. Motorola may be counting on the Snapdragon 835's improved power efficiency to make it an all-day battery, but the big AMOLED screen is still going to take a toll on the power cell. The phone comes with a quick-charge adapter, at least.

The Z2 also comes in three different models for different US carriers: a Sprint unit, a Verizon one, and an AT&T/T-Mobile one. Moving the phone between carriers can be difficult, because each model supports different spectrum bands: the AT&T/T-Mobile one won't work on Sprint or Verizon, the Verizon one won't work well with T-Mobile or Sprint, and the Sprint one will work just okay on all four carriers, but not as well as the optimized units.

Speaking of those optimized units, we already have confirmation that the phone will have gigabit-class LTE on AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Currently the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are the only gigabit LTE phones on AT&T and T-Mobile, and the HTC U11 is the only one for Sprint. The Z2 Force will provide another speedy option.

"This device is extra special for us because it will enable the gigabit-class LTE speeds we look forward to bringing to our customers soon. With these speeds, our customers will be able to download movies and share large files faster than ever," Sprint's VP of product development, Ryan Sullivan, said in a press release.

We Want More Moto Mods!

The Z2 Force Edition follows up on the Z2 Play, Moto's $499 midrange unlocked phone which we reviewed in June (video below). While the new Force Edition has the shatterproof screen, faster processor, and better LTE speeds, the older Z2 Play has two advantages other than price: a standard headphone jack and the ability to be used equally on all four US networks.

Moto Mods include a projector, speakers, a Hasselblad-branded camera, and additional batteries. At Mobile World Congress this year, Moto showed prototypes of more exotic mods like a gamepad, photo printer, VR headset, and LED light panel. The company has also been running hackathons and encouraging Indiegogo campaigns for new mods.

Related

Right now, we're getting two new mods: that 360-degree, 4K camera for $299, and a $79.99, snap-on gamepad, which will be sold only through Verizon.

The Z2 Force Edition is coming to all four national carriers plus US Cellular, and we'll hear deals throughout the day.

AT&T will be selling it for $810 over 30 months, throwing in Motorola's projector mod if you buy it by Oct. 6.

Sprint will be selling it for $792, but if you lease it rather than buy it for $33/month for 18 months, it will give you two for the price of one. Sprint is also throwing in the projector free "for a limited time."

T-Mobile's pre-orders start today, with phones arriving on Aug. 10. It will sell the phone for $750, but if you get two phones on an installment plan and add a new line of service, one phone will be free. T-Mobile also offers a free projector mod through Sept. 9, or while supplies last.

US Cellular is also offering the free projector for people who buy the phone before Sept. 9, or before they run out.

Verizon is selling the handset for $756, but it's marking it down to $396 if you have an unlimited plan, pay on a 24-month payment plan, and purchase by Aug. 9. It's also throwing in the free projector, for anyone who buys the phone by Sept. 30 or before Verizon runs out.

About the Author

PCMag.com's lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, has reviewed hundreds of smartphones, tablets and other gadgets in more than 13 years with PCMag. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, hosts our One Cool Thing daily Web show, and writes opinions on tech and society.
Segan is also a multiple award-winning travel writer. Other than ... See Full Bio

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.